First Love Saga: Tezuka x Fuji
by WhiteEnsigma
Summary: After an attack to his family coorporation, Tezuka found himself in the company of not one, but two top notch bodyguards. Although he found one to be particularly annoying, he soon found that it wouldn't be the same without that person by his side. TeFu. Shounen-ai.
1. Chapter 1

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**First Love Saga: Tezuka and Fuji**

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The corporation was packed, but not with employees and clients. Instead, men in black federal uniform camped around the 30 floors skyscraper with guns on guard. The regiment of 20 men at each corner of the pentagon shaped skyscraper was an enough view to send civilians away, not counting five times the number of men inside the building.

From a rushing hi-speed, a black Lexus LS arrived in front of the main entrance drive-through driveway. A man, assumingly a regiment leader, in black suits with a pistol lodge on his side and a bulletproof vest over his torso quickly came forward and opened the door to the passenger side.

He knew it right away who it was. The person in the car was the youngest child of the head chief of the federal police force.

"Madame."

A woman in her mid 40's dressed in a formal cream-colored suit stepped out. Her face wore a worried frown. "How's my son, Oishi-kun?"

Oishi, the regiment leader, fell into steps with her as she hurriedly walked into the building. "The shot fortunately missed his heart, hitting his left clavicle. But, he's doing fine."

The woman nodded with a bit relief. "Thank goodness he's okay. I rushed down here as soon as I could."

As they walked briskly through the main lobby, the men in uniform cleared the path.

Oishi paced his steps to be ahead of her. He stepped into the elevator, pushed a button, and stepped out before the woman came inside. "Tezuka-dono and Tezuka-san are on the fifth floor."

The woman nodded and the door slid shut.

Oishi turned around. He raised his hands and pushed lightly on the transmission device fixed around his left ear.

******O.O******

"_Lady Tezuka is on her way up_."

Dressing in the same black suit as Oishi, the man in thick squared spectacles turned around toward the elevator to see the light on top of the elevator door moving from floor 2 to floor 3. "Received." He spoke into the microphone of his earpiece.

He walked up to the elevator and stood in front, waiting until it opened up on his floor.

Some seconds later, the door opened.

"Madame."

"Inui-kun. Where is he?"

Inui immediately led her to the building infirmary.

Upon entering, the façade of a businessperson broke down and got replaced by the presence of a caring mother. She immediately ran toward her son. "Kunimitsu!"

Tezuka Kuniharu, who was sitting on a chair by the bed in which his son was perching on, stood up. "Ayana, what are you doing here?"

Tezuka Ayana stopped to glare at her husband. "My only son is shot, and you're asking me what I'm doing here?" Without waiting for a response, she approached the bed and her eyes turned soft as she caressed her son's cheeks gently. "My baby."

"I'm fine, mother." Tezuka Kunimitsu smiled to reassure his anxious mother.

Her eyes roved over to the bandaged shoulder. Gently, she ghosted her fingers over the wound. "Who in their right mind would do this to you? I was only gone for two days, and you were shot. I knew I should have sent my assistant in my place-"

Tezuka's right hand flew across his body to grab his mother's hand. "Mother." Her eyes averted away from his bandaged shoulder. "I'm fine." He repeated. "What's done is done, and it's not your fault, okay?" He held her eyes firmly until she nodded. He let her hand go after an assuring squeeze.

"I want to see the person who did this to you." Ayana demanded.

"Ayana, he's dead." Kuniharu said from behind. There was a hint of anger in his voice. He wanted to question the shooter, but now that he was dead, they could not find out the motive behind this gunfire. He had a feeling that there was more to this case.

"You know that I love you so much, right?"

Tezuka nodded. "I want to go home."

Ayana smiled. "Okay."

******O.O******

After Tezuka and his family went home, Inui went directly to the security office to analyze the footage of the scene before his boss's son was shot. Already in the room was the young technical analyst Echizen Ryoma. He didn't bother looking up when Inui entered.

"What do you have so far?" Inui pulled out a rolling chair and sat down before the numerous screens.

"So far…" Echizen's fingers flew over the keyboard in lightning speed as he pulled up some screen shots. "I have everything about the shooter."

A picture popped up on the big main screen off to the side of the semi-darkened room. Both men swiveled their chair sideway to look at the screen.

Echizen held up a laser pen and circled it around the face on the screen. "Shooter is 23 years old, employee of an antique store for one month until he was fired 3 days ago, caught for illegal auctioning antique merchandise from the store to an illegal online website called 'hustler'."

"His background record?" Inui asked.

Echizen clicked on a button on the laser pen and a file popped up. "Pristine clear. He graduated from all three levels of basic education with outstanding marks. His employment background was good."

"What was his last place of employment?"

"An auto shop specialized in Zaku auto parts…which is, of course, the name of Tezuka-dono's corporation."

"Right. That's a connection right there." Inui stood up. "I'm calling a meeting in half an hour at the conference room on the second floor."

******O.O******

"Ayana-san."

Sitting behind her desk in her office, Ayana looked up from her laptop. "Himiko."

Himiko was Ayana's personal bodyguard trained by her father. She was excellent in combat and that was why she was relocated to become Ayana's guard. "It seems like there is something big behind the initial gunfire."

Ayana's eyes widened slightly. "It's not over yet."

"I'm afraid not." Himiko continued to relay the information from the prior meeting with the police force to Ayana.

After half an hour of briefing, Ayana contemplated on a decision. "If that's the case, I want you to stay with my son from now on."

Himiko's eyes immediately dilated. "But Ayana-san-"

Ayana shook her head. "If they are going to strike again, it is either going to be my husband or my son. I can be very sure that I am not their target. Besides…" She looked at Himiko with adoration. "This way, Kunimitsu can get to know you better."

Himiko blushed.

Ayana loved Himiko like her own daughter. If she didn't spoil her son so much, she would have pushed both into an engagement already. However, her son had not been showing any interest in Himiko and that made Ayana quite unhappy.

******O.O******

"…" Tezuka glanced toward Himiko at the corner of his eyes. His mother just told him that Himiko would be with him most of the time in his waking hours and he didn't like it one bit. "I don't think that is necessary."

"I agreed with Kunimitsu." Ayana's father, Asakura Kain, nodded. His eyes were firm. "Even if you are not speculated to be a target, we cannot rule anything out. And besides, Himiko has been with you for 5 years now. She would have to change her protocol if she was switched to be Kunimitsu's bodyguard."

Ayana crossed her arms stubbornly. "There won't be a difference in the protocol. She's just protecting Kunimitsu like she has been protecting me all these years. Father, my only son just got shot. I cannot standby and do nothing."

Asakura moved closer to his daughter and held her shoulders lightly. "Sweetie, you are not doing nothing. You are already doing something by watching over Kunimitsu."

"I'm still standing by my decision."

Asakura sighed heavily and walked toward the door. "Anyways, I'm sending one of my top agents down to protect Kunimitsu tomorrow morning."

"I trust my son's life in Himiko's hand more than that new agent." Ayana followed her father.

"But you haven't even met him yet."

"I don't care. I don't trust him."

"That's the exact same thing you said when I offered you Himiko's service."

"You shouldn't contradict me, father."

"Sure sure. Let's just give Kunimitsu the choice when my agent comes down."

Tezuka sat quietly listening to the argument between his mother and grandpa as they walked away. He was well aware of Himiko's silent presence in the room. He could barely hear her breathing and he had sonic hearing.

Pushing himself off the sofa, he stood up and looked at her. "I'm going to my room."

Himiko nodded. "Hai."

As Tezuka walked out, Himiko followed him from behind. Then, he stopped without looking back. "You don't have to follow me."

"But-"

"You heard them earlier." He cut her off a bit too harsh, but he didn't care. "I'll get to choose once the agent comes down. Until then, you don't need to follow me around." With that, Tezuka left, leaving behind a sad looking girl.

******O.O******

Tezuka woke up at 5 AM. Standing by the door of the dojo, he looked longingly at the swords hung on the walls. If he wasn't injured, he would be practicing judo right now.

He turned around, leaving a sigh behind.

Since it was spring, morning dews were accumulating on the plants and morning mist made a hazel veil over the large zen garden of his grandfather's traditional house.

He was about to return to the house when he heard a mumbling voice through the mist. He tuned in and searched for the direction in which it was coming from.

He could pick up something along the line of '_That damn cat almost clawed my eyes out.'_

That brought a chuckle out of him. His grandfather had all the domestic pets around the house, and the felines were most troublesome. They never went to their bed when they sleep, so the people working here always accidentally stepped on a tail before getting scratched somewhere on their morning duties.

Soon, the voice became louder until the owner of the voice collided into Tezuka before Tezuka could avoid it. He wondered how that person moved so fast and the consequence of the collision immediately came to his senses. He hissed in pain. Luckily, the head of the intruder didn't reach up to his shoulder or else he would have a direct collision on the wound.

"Who's there!" The intruder yelled out, startled, as he stumbled backward and the only thing Tezuka could see through the mist was a pair of blue lights.

"I should be asking that question. This is my grandfather's house."

Tezuka could tell the intruder was shock as there was no noise coming from him. A few seconds passed by and Tezuka thought the intruder was surely gone because he couldn't hear anything else that suggested otherwise.

The sun slowly crawled out, dissipating the mist particles and made vision clearer.

The intruder then cleared his throat. "Pardon me."

Tezuka could now see who was in front of him. Standing before him was a young man (or boy?) around his age with light brown hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were closed and it made Tezuka wondered what the blue lights he saw earlier were. "You don't look familiar."

The man tilted his head sideway to look at Tezuka with a mischievous smile. "You have really good memory Tezuka-san. This is my first time in this residence."

Tezuka ignored that first comment. For an unknown reason, he could discern teasing from that man. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He inquired stoically. He had two guesses in his head. One, this man could be the new agent. Two, he could be another assassin. But judging by the cover, Tezuka doubted the intruder was neither. The man was too fragile looking.

"Ooo." The intruder faked a surprise and cooed. "Is Tezuka-san interested in me or have you fallen for me at first sight?"

Tezuka's left eyebrow twitched and he glared at the man. How was _that_ even related?

"But you know, you shouldn't fall in love with someone who you just met less than 5 minutes earlier. I don't like that kind of relationship." He wagged his finger in front of Tezuka's face as he clucked his tongue. He continued on, not aware of Tezuka's glare. His eyes averted back to Tezuka and the smile was starting to make Tezuka unnerving. "However…" His eyes scrutinized Tezuka from the bottom up, then back down. "You're quite an eyesight. I wouldn't mind being liked by you."

The intruder came closer and Tezuka had to immediately use his good arm to stop the man from being anymore closer. "Stop saying nonsense."

The man then giggled and stepped back. "You're so cute with that glare. I like you."

Tezuka almost gaped openly. He is so not cute. Of course he had been praise for his looks, but it was never cute. Instead, he bit his lips to contain his annoyance. Without another word, he turned around and headed to the house. Surprisingly, the intruder didn't follow him.

Once he was back into his room, Tezuka let out his annoyance. His wall rattled with a smack of his fist as he ventilated heavily. Never in his life was he this agitated by someone who merely talked and smiled all within a span of 5 minutes. If he was going to see the man again, he just wanted to wipe that smile off.

A moment later, a knock came upon Tezuka's door and he instinctively glared at it before muttering a permission to come in. It was no one other than Himiko.

"Asakura-sama and Ayana-san requested your presence in the dojo."

"The dojo?" Tezuka raised his eyebrows in mild confusion. They never meet in the dojo.

"Hai."

Tezuka then nodded. "I'll be there once I'm ready."

"Hai." Himiko nodded and left the room, closing the door.

Tezuka wondered if Himiko could only say 'Hai' after everything he said. She was the exact opposite of the intruder…Speaking of the intruder, his blood boiled.

Tezuka was looking forward to meet the agent that his grandpa personally picked out for him. Knowing his grandpa, he would get the best.

His grandpa was looking over the swords hanging on the wall with his grandfather while his mother was conversing with Himiko. When Ayana spotted her son, she immediately strode across the wooden floor and brought him into her embrace. "Good morning, honey."

Tezuka mumbled a greeting back. As she was releasing him, his grandpa and grandfather came closer to them and Tezuka nodded in greeting.

"Did you sleep well?" Kunikazu asked, patting his grandson's good shoulder.

"I did." Tezuka nodded. "The wound doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"That's good to hear." Kunikazu smiled. "Your grandpa brought someone for you to meet." He turned his face sideway to look at Asakura.

"Grandpa, is this really necessary?" Tezuka asked, hoping to dissuade his grandpa would stop insisting that he needed a bodyguard. After all, his wound was healing quite efficiently and he was sure that he could protect himself with all the years of Japanese martial arts. "I'm already feeling better."

Simultaneously, his grandfather and grandpa frowned disapprovingly.

"Unless you are able to win me in a match, then it is necessary, young man." Kunikazu reprimanded. Although firmly, he meant well. "Kunimitsu, you are my only grandson. I cannot have you going around without protection at this time. Do you understand me?"

Tezuka sighed inwardly. He wanted to roll his eyes, but his nature didn't allow that. So instead, he nodded wordlessly.

Kunikazu bobbed his head up and down. "Good. Good."

"So..." Tezuka paused as he looked around the dojo. "Where is this agent that you brought grandpa?"

Asakura chuckled and said in a teasing tone. "Can't wait to see him, eh?"

Tezuka's forehead wrinkled into a frown, crossing his arms. Well, at least now he knew that the agent is a male and that was definitely better than having Himiko around all of the time.

"He went scouting the residence while waiting for you to show up."

Usually, tardy is on Tezuka's black list, but since it was scouting that the tardiness was accounted for, it was an exception. Besides, the agent was being efficient with time, and he liked that. This bodyguard thing may work out after all. As he was contemplating, a strangely familiar voice broke him out of his stupor and he turned around only to have his face frozen in shock.

The supposedly best agent bowed with a smile that Tezuka didn't want to see. "Hello, my name is Fuji Syusuke."

Asakura walked up beside Tezuka and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Kunimitsu, this is agent Fuji Syusuke."

Tezuka stared at Fuji's face with an are-you-serious expression. This guy that he met earlier was the agent? His grandpa had to be kidding him. How could an immature guy like Fuji Syusuke be his grandpa's best agent? "Grandpa?" Now he was starting to doubt his grandpa's standard of the best.

"Mhm?"

Tezuka turned his head to look at his grandpa. "This is a joke right?"

Asakura raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Tezuka glanced back at the smiling face and frown. "Is he really the agent you talked about?"

Asakura retrieved his arm and emphasized his word that left no room for further questions. "Fuji Syusuke is my _best_ agent."

"Oh." Tezuka's mood dropped.

Fuji's smile widened. He knew his new charge was skeptical about him due to the earlier incident, so he took the initiative to reintroduce himself in depth. He held out his left hand and smiled amiably. "Agent Fuji Syusuke, age 23, in charge of the federal spy squadron in the second unit and a squadron chief of defense unit for the government. Nice to meet you, Tezuka-san." A chuckle was added to the last sentence.

Hearing that, Tezuka's jaw dropped, but not literally. His grandpa nudged him on his arm to recollect himself before shaking the offered hand of Fuji Syusuke.

He couldn't believe that the man in front of him could be so...highly ranked and skilled. His mother was speechless to the point that she felt that Himiko was nowhere near comparison to Fuji.

"So, what do you think of my best agent Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka cleared his throat. _I hope he is not boasting. _In spite of everything, he needs to see proof that Fuji was who he claimed to be. After a few seconds, he spoke each word carefully. "I think that it is better if it's someone else."

His grandpa and Fuji frowned. "Why is that, Kunimitsu?"

"Well..." The frown on Fuji's face made him turn away and he looked at his grandpa. "If Agent Fuji is who he is, then don't you need him to look after the other agents?"

The frowns immediately disappeared and were replaced by an amused smile on Asakura's face. "Ah. For a moment there, I thought you don't like Fuji-kun."

Tezyka swallowed. "He's your best agent, grandpa. Why wouldn't I like him?" He lied and glanced at the agent.

Somehow, the smile on Fuji's face made him feel uncomfortable, as if it knew the lie behind Tezuka's facade.

"Good. With that said, I will let you choose. Himiko or Fuji? Both are my agents, so I can strongly guarantee their abilities to protect you."

Tezuka looked between Fuji and Himiko and considered the options. The female agent was quiet and obedient. He had also seen her in action when his mother was mugged by some street gangsters a while back. But the only thing he didn't like about her was the fact that having a female around was really too inconvenient. As for the male agent, the first counter was enough for a rejection to be passed on without a word. That annoyed the heck out of him, and he hated the teasing smile that was always there. There was nothing good about Fuji besides his famed accomplishments.

"...Well?" Asakura patted Tezuka's shoulder.

"Is...there another choice?" Tezuka tried.

Asakura sighed. "Since you can't decide, I'll assign both to you for today and by tomorrow, you'll have to make a choice. That way, you can get to know them better."

"But-"

His grandpa raised a hand and spoke firmly. "No but. I have a meeting to get to, so I'll see you tomorrow." He said to his grandson before turning to Fuji. "I trust you with Kunimitsu."

Fuji nodded and his smile changed into a professional one. "Yes sir."

"I'll see you out." Kunikazu said.

"I'll come with you too." Ayana said and followed both men out of the dojo, leaving Tezuka behind with two agents.

There was a strangely comfortable silence passing in the dojo as the agents looked at their charge, who in turn was glaring at the door.

Fuji cleared his throat softly. "So, Tezuka-san. Where to?"

Tezuka glanced at Fuji before leaving the dojo without a word.

Fuji chuckled from behind and commented loud enough for Tezuka to hear. "Still bitter about earlier eh?"

Himiko frowned, wondering what Fuji was talking about. When they both reached the door, Fuji turned and smiled at Himiko. "Lady first."

Transiently, Himiko scoffed and went through the door. She could see competition.

Tezuka closed the door to his room with a slam, stopping Fuji and Himiko from entering.

"I guess we are locked out." Fuji commented lightly, rocking back and forth on his heels and toes.

Himiko glared, eyes shined with skepticism. "Are you really who you said you really are?"

"Why?" Fuji beamed. "Am I too cute for my job?" He grinned. That hit a nerve.

Himiko twitched. She really hated Fuji. If there was no Fuji, then she would have gotten chosen to be Tezuka's bodyguard and be closer to him. But no, the supposedly best agent was picked and it unnerved her that he didn't act like one bit of a chief agent. It was like competing with a rich spoiled child. And now he was being a bitch. Cute? Hell no! She restrained from making that comment. "No reason."

"Alright." Fuj shrugged nonchalantly. He stood in his spot for a while before yawning.

Himiko looked at him with disdain.

Fuji stretched his arms before walking away.

"Where are you going?"

Fuji turned around and looked at the annoyed girl. "Just around the corner. You don't need to worry about me." He added with a cheeky grin.

Himiko ignored Fuji as he disappeared. While waiting, she decided to rest her feet under the tree.

Dressing in a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and tucked in, Tezuka grabbed all of his important belongings before opening his closet and disappeared through the hidden door. It was a semi dark passage underground with the frequent lights on the wall lit the way.

At the end, he pushed the door on the ceiling and it opened up. He climbed up and hauled himself out. Smiling to himself, he closed the door. He thought that he had gotten out of the overprotective safe haven that he called home, but what he didn't expect was what he saw next. He almost shrieked when he turned around, but he didn't. The expression on his face was enough to tell that he was extremely shocked.

"Where are you going?" Again, the Cheshire grin greeted him.

Tezuka scowled at that annoying smile. He wondered how the agent knew of this passage that only he knew.

Fuji seemed to understand the question on Tezuka's mind. He chuckled and leapt off the big rock that he was currently sitting on. "It isn't difficult to figure out what was on your mind, especially when it is obvious that you prefer going to places alone."

Fuji leaned forward and smiled mischievously. "That's why, Tezuka-san, you shouldn't do your own things by yourself anymore. You should get comfortable with me around like clothes on your body, so we can get to know each other better. So, what do you say to a bonding time?"

Tezuka scoffed and circumvented the smiling agent. "So annoying."

"Wait for me! Don't leave me behind!" Fuji shouted, switching to his bubbly self, and ran after his charge.

Tezuka didn't bother going through the side gate, since Fuji was already following him. What point was there for sneaking out anymore? Even so, Tezuka thought, he could still drive himself. He smiled and slipped his hand into his pocket to get out the keys that were jingling as he walked toward the car park.

"Ne, Tezuka-san, are you driving?" Fuji's head popped up from the side. Tezuka gave him a side-glance before resuming his vision to the front.

"What if I am?" Tezuka responded nonchalantly.

What Tezuka didn't expect was for Fuji to step out and block his path with a pout on his lips. "Mou, you speak as if I'm unwanted."

Tezuka twitched as he stared at the agent. _You are unwanted._

But as quick as the pout was formed, it disappeared just as quick and was replaced by _the_ smile. "Anyways, how about I'm driving you? I'm a really good driver you know? You can trust me with your safety. The last time I was behind the wheel…"

Tezuka shook his head and pushed Fuji aside so he could go through. Despite that, Fuji continued to follow him and blabber on. "I also flew a jet across the Pacific Ocean to an isolated island east of Hawaii." His monologue was then discontinued with the sound of Tezuka unlocking his car from the remote control. Swiftly, he sprinted toward Tezuka and snatched the keys away from Tezuka's hand before Tezuka could open the door.

Dumfounded, Tezuka wondered what just happened as he blinked his eyes.

Fuji slipped in between the car and Tezuka with a bright smile gleaming up at Tezuka's face. "Your seat is on the other side, Tezuka-san. I'll drive the car." He declared.

Tezuka growled and reached out to snatch his keys back, but Fuji was already moving away. "Give me my keys back." He was now glaring at the agent, who was already on the other side of the car.

Fuji shook his head, his hair moving across his face. "Nope!" He grinned, clearly enjoying the teasing and the angry look on Tezuka's face. "Come and get it if you want it back!" He jingled the keys in the air.

Tezuka was not the type to back down, so he sprinted around the car to get to Fuji. After a few unrelenting rounds of chase, Tezuka gave up. Fuji was just too nimble for his current condition. "Fine, you can have the keys!" He snapped and turned to walk away.

Fuji ran after his charge. "Don't you want to ride with me?"

"No! I'd rather ride with my chauffeur," and that was what Tezuka did. The chauffeur drove the car to the front, and Tezuka got in, closing the door before the chauffeur could do so. The chauffeur looked back at Fuji, wondering what the agent did to anger the young master before wordlessly proceeding to the driver's side.

Tezuka didn't bother looking back at Fuji when the car started moving. It made Tezuka wonder if Fuji was going to follow him. Once he was sure that Fuji was not in sight, he sat back and let out a breath of relief with his eyes closed. Finally, he was free from the incommodious agent.

He had his eyes closed for a while during the peaceful drive, taking the time to take himself back to a past memory when he used to go mountain climbing with his father at least once every month. He had always enjoyed the father and son trip.

As the car came down to a slow speed, Tezuka opened his eyes to see where he was. He looked to the side, spotting the park, which indicated that he was 4 miles away from his best friend's house.

As he was watching five little kids playing in the sand box, a motorcyclist came to a stop and blocked his view. Tezuka frowned.

He was about to turn away when the motorcyclist turned side way to look back at him. The helmet on his head prevented Tezuka from seeing who he was. The motorcyclist suddenly raised his left arm and waved at Tezuka.

For a mysterious reason, Tezuka immediately knew who it was. He automatically slapped his forehead in defeat.

Fuji simply had his way to annoy him to death.

Fuji didn't need to wait until their destination was reached in order to know where Tezuka wanted to go. Down the 4-miles drive from his current location resided one of the few well-known billionaires of Japan, the Atobe residence. He had been there once a couple of months back. It wasn't that he was friends with any of the residence, but that he was hired to deliver an _important package_ to the other side of Japan.

Fuji noticed the high-tech security systems set up along the long driveway before the mansion was reached. Just as the car stopped, Fuji looked up from the staircase to see Atobe Keigo coming down majestically with his faux fur fashion that Fuji found it disturbing since the beginning. If he was a fashion designer instead of a federal agent, no animals would be abused and stripped of their fur.

Tezuka got out and dismissed the chauffeur. Fuji parked his motorcycle beside the staircase, taking off his helmet and hung it on the left handle.

"Well, isn't it Fuji-san?" Atobe greeted the agent with a billion dollar smile.

Fuji merely smiled and bowed slightly. "Atobe-san. We meet again."

Tezuka looked between the agent and his friend. Did they know each other?

"Yes, indeed. Are you hired again to deliver another _important package_?" Atobe's eyes quickly glanced at Tezuka, a knowing smirk was on his lips.

That confused Tezuka. What package were they talking about? His eyes placed on Fuji when the latter chuckled airily. "Not this time, Atobe-san. I'm here today as a bodyguard, not a transporter."

"Ah." Atobe seemed to understand right away. "The shooting a few days ago I presume?"

Fuji nodded.

"You know." Atobe looked at Fuji with wonder. "I never thought about you being the whole bodyguard business, but it sounds like a splendid idea."

Fuji raised a brow as he waited for the diva to finish his words.

"What do you think about working as my private bodyguard, Fuji-san?"

"I'm an agent, Atobe-san, not a bodyguard, in case you forgot." Fuji reminded him. "And I was appointed to be Tezuka-san's bodyguard in favor of his grandpa."

Nevertheless, Atobe simply shrugged with an easy smile on his face. "Ah, I guess I don't have that kind of honor then. I was wishing to have someone like you around." He paused before continuing. "As a bodyguard, of course."

Fuji chuckled, amused. "Maybe if you get lucky enough the next time I'm around."

Even though he and Atobe were best friends, Tezuka felt left out as the conversation between the agent and Atobe took place. It was as if watching his friend conversing with a past lover.

Tezuka faked a cough lightly. "Let's go inside."

At that, Atobe nodded.

******O.O******

Tezuka had been in Atobe's room for a handful of times now, but every time he was there, the room was reorganized. Sometimes, the same furniture would be rearranged and sometimes, a new set was replaced.

"Classic." That was the word that Tezuka came up for Atobe's current designed room.

"Exactly your style, right?" Atobe said as he walked over to the bedside table. There were 3 different cell phones on it. He reached inside his pant pocket and fished out a silver phone. Setting it down, he exchanged it with a charcoal colored one.

"It's nice." Tezuka commented as he took a seat on the sofa near the balcony.

Fuji was standing by the door quietly surveying the room when a butler came in and asked for refreshments.

Atobe came over to the sofa and sat down. "All Irish Black and Tan for us." He threw a look over at Fuji. "What about you Fuji-san?"

Fuji smiled. "Thank you, but I don't drink."

"Something non-alcoholic then?" Atobe suggested with an air of friendliness.

By now, Tezuka was thinking why Atobe was so inclined on starting a conversation with his bodyguard. Usually, Atobe doesn't _talk_ to others unless they were considered his friends, and Tezuka was sure that Fuji and Atobe were not friends. Looking at Fuji, Tezuka felt a bit bad for Fuji for standing at the door doing nothing. The agent must be bored to death.

"No thank you." Fuji responded in a polite decline. He then moved his gaze over to his charge. "Tezuka-san, if you don't mind, I'll be in the front."

Tezuka nodded absentmindedly. It confused him that Fuji voluntarily decidedly to leave him alone. He thought the agent would be on his back like a leech, but he thought wrong.

Fuji gave the room one last look before leaving with the butler.

"So…"

Tezuka snapped his head back to Atobe, who was clearly having an amused look on his face. Tezuka wondered why.

"So what?"

Atobe leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs. "What do you think about him?"

Tezuka frowned. "About who?"

"Fuji Syusuke."

Tezuka's eyes widened slightly, taken a bit off guard. "What about him?"

Atobe laughed and leaned back against the sofa. "I never knew you could be that dense. Now I'm really questioning how your intelligence could have surpassed mine."

Tezuka scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I think he's cute though." Atobe commented off handedly.

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I have a feeling that if you said that to him, you're going to get your ass kicked." Speaking of cute, didn't Fuji call him cute the first time they met?

"And I also believe that's exactly what would happen. That's why I didn't call him cute the second time."

Tezuka's ears perked up and he glanced at Atobe amusingly. "Ah. So you've had experienced it."

"Meh!" Atobe turned his eyes away. "First time is always a flaw."

"Not exactly true, but I can live with that."

"Don't get technical with me Tezuka. You know what I mean." Atobe sighed exasperatedly.

Tezuka chuckled.

The butler then came in and gave them their drinks.

******O.O******

Fuji noted that the Atobe mansion still looked the same. He was now currently leaning against his motorcycle.

With nothing to do at the moment, he decided to check up on his team.

******O.O******

Tezuka came out with sealed folder in his hands as he descended the stairs with Atobe in tow.

Fuji stood up straight and held his helmet by his side as he took out the keys in his pant pocket. He noticed that the chauffeur that dropped off his charge wasn't there yet, but he figured the chauffeur would be on his way. He decided to get ready beforehand.

As he was putting on his helmet, his keys were suddenly snatched away from his grip and he immediately held off the helmet. His eyes widened when they fell on the person who dared to steal his keys from him.

Tezuka, who was standing a meter away from him, held the keys in front of his face and jingled in tease. A small satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Fuji swiftly reached out to take them back, but he wasn't fast enough. "Hey! That's mine!" He puffed indignantly with creases forming on his forehead.

Tezuka found that he liked that face. "Déjà vu, isn't it?" He smirked.

Atobe watched amusingly from behind.

"You can't take my keys." Fuji said, hand on his hip. He scowled like a cub.

"Well, you took mine, so why can't I take yours? Besides," Tezuka reasoned as he walked around Fuji to get to the motorcycle.

Fuji's eyes never left his keys.

"I need transportation."

Fuji bit his lower lip in anger, which Tezuka found cute. "You can call your chauffeur, but you can't take my keys." He repeated, sounding like a stubborn child.

Tezuka merely shrugged and got on the motorcycle, starting the engine in one swift move.

Fuji gasped in horror and pointed accusingly at Tezuka. "You can't drive my bike!"

Tezuka smirked and reached out to pull Fuji toward him by the latter's hand. Fuji fell forward with a startled yelp. He wasn't expecting Tezuka to be so…so…arhg! He couldn't even find a word to describe it!

"Don't worry Fuji-san. Tezuka is licensed. He and I were biker buddies during our high school years." Atobe commented from the side.

Tezuka held onto Fuji's arm to steady the agent.

What more unexpected was when Fuji looked up, Tezuka's face was right in front of him. Their noses were an inch away. Heat rushed into his face and turned it red. Unknowingly to Fuji, Tezuka was experiencing the same rush of emotion.

Fuji pulled back, along with his arms, speechless. He only looked up when Atobe cleared his throat.

"How much longer are you both planning to stand there? You're wasting my time." Atobe tapped his foot on the ground impatiently with his arms crossed at his chest.

Tezuka coughed lightly and kicked up the bike's stand. "Get on." He mumbled, avoiding looking at the agent.

Fuji carefully averted his eyes back at on Tezuka. "But-"

Tezuka cut Fuji off with a no-room-for-argument look. "Do you want me to leave you here?"

Fuji's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Tired of waiting for the usually nimble Fuji to respond, Tezuka pulled the agent onto the bike and said a good-bye to Atobe before taking off.

As Tezuka raced down the street, he wondered what was currently running in Fuji's clever head. The side mirrors on both sides only allowed him to see Fuji's whipping hair in the wind. The shorter one's face was hidden from view, but as far as Tezuka could tell, Fuji was careful in keeping an ample distance between their bodies because he could not feel any part of Fuji's body on his back. He would occasionally feel Fuji's hair brushing his neck at the turns.

Truthfully, he learned from the diva about the secret of dealing with Fuji if he didn't want to go crazy at this age. And the secret was to act bold and mischievous. He was hesitated at first because acting so wasn't him and it sounded so flirtatious. It wasn't to his liking, but with a few persuasions from the diva, who was a victim to Fuji's never ending annoyance, he came to accept that it was the only choice to save his sanity.

******O.O******

Himiko was stupefied when Ayana called her to let her know that her charge was at the company a minute ago. She had been guarding outside of Tezuka's room without moving, and yet, he was outside without her noticing. Where did she go wrong?

By the time she got to the company, Tezuka and Fuji were down in the lobby about to leave.

"Tezuka-san." Himiko confronted them, slightly out of breath and relieved that she caught him before he left.

Tezuka stopped short and regarded the girl.

Her sudden bow took Tezuka by surprise. "I'm sorry! I didn't notice when you left." She apologized.

Tezuka looked at her with pity. It wasn't her fault, and yet she was apologizing. Now the guilt was building up and Tezuka felt uneasy. "It's okay." He tried to assure her.

She shook her head, refusing to look up. "It's my fault for being careless. Please forgive me."

Tezuka sighed. Being in debt was something he truly didn't like and right now, he owed her an apology. Although he wanted to apologize, his pride was preventing him from saying it directly. Besides, Fuji was standing right there on his right. He would never hear the end of it from the agent. Instead, he tried another approach. "I'm heading over to the Prince Suite to meet a client, do you want to come along?"

"Eh?" Himiko looked up with surprise on her face before a slow smile broke out. "Hai!"

Well, at least she was happy.

Fuji raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. Why was Tezuka being nice all of a sudden when he was being mean to Fuji ever since they left the mansion?

A small frown, evident on Fuji's face, was caught by Tezuka from the corner of his eyes. He decided not to take advantage of that. Instead, he silently marveled Fuji's change in attitude. The agent still hadn't come back to his teasing self since the departure from Atobe's residence.

The car was already parked in front when the trio left the building with the chauffeur waiting by the opened door to the back seats.

Fuji took a step ahead and held the door while the chauffeur got to the driver's seat.

Tezuka entered the car.

Just as Fuji was about to close the door, Himiko's hand stopped the door. She gave a little bow with a smile that stirred a small fire in Fuji. He almost gaped at her when she yanked the door close after she got in.

Fuji scoffed unbelievably. He bit his lips from retorting any comments and made his way over to the other side. He wasn't going to back down if challenge was what Himiko wagering.

Tezuka didn't know when he had been observant of the brown-haired agent. All the subtle changes of emotions sparked an interest in him, and now he couldn't stop from continuing his observation.

******O.O******

Himiko stole hating glances at the agent on the other side of the door. She wasn't naïve. The changes in Tezuka's behavior toward Fuji were not unrecognized. After all, she wasn't one of the top agents trained by Asakura for nothing.

"Ne, Himiko-san. If you keep on doing that, your eyes might get permanent spasm." Fuji smirked.

Himiko indignantly turned to Fuji with hands on her hips. "And Fuji-san. If you don't stop trying to get Tezuka-san's attention, you might incorrigibly embarrass yourself." She retorted childishly.

Fuji's slightly opened his eyes as he regarded the girl. She was too conceited in his opinion. "If I'm not wrong, you are talking about yourself. Who was the one trying to get him to notice since the beginning? I'm not really sure myself, but I think I got his attention without me trying." He playfully clucked his tongue while shaking his head in mock.

Himiko's forehead creased in frustration. "It's beyond my understanding as to why you're Asakura-dono's best agent. You're the most immature person I've ever met!" She hissed lowly. Tezuka and the client were having a meeting in the room behind the closed door.

"Then obviously you must have not met a lot of people. Being a loner doesn't suit you, Himiko-san."

"I wonder, with that look of yours, did you use it to your advantage?"

Fury flashed through Fuji's eyes. No one had ever said that to him. For the people who knew him, they all knew that he built his way up his rank with hard work and determination. Sure, people had praised him for his effeminate look many times before, but not in the sense that hinted of him being a slut. "I'm patient and easy-going, but I suggest you be careful with your words, Himiko-san. In this field of work, you are still my junior." Fuji said firmly.

Crossing her arms, she looked away. She hated losing. For once, she forgot that Fuji could get her fired. She wished she could take it back.

******O.O******

"Tezuka-san, it's time for lunch. Is there a place where you want to eat?" Himiko boldly asked as they walked out the suite. The silent Fuji made her nervous, making her regret what she said about him earlier.

Tezuka thought for a while. He had no plan to have lunch with anyone yet, might as well eat by himself. On second thought, he won't be eating by himself.

"Kawamura Palace."

Tezuka noticed how Fuji was stiffer, and he wondered why. He would ask the agent later.

He learned later upon arrival that the main chef of Kawamura Palace was out of the country on an emergency leave 2 days before. Nevertheless, they were still seated at the reservation spot that he always got each time he came.

Both agents stood behind their charge when he sat down at the table. Suddenly, his phone rang and he stood up. Even though there was no one else besides the agents, it was his habit to pick up the phone when no one was around.

Fuji and Himiko followed Tezuka from behind, but before Tezuka stepped through the door, he paused and turned around to look at Himiko. "I need you to stay behind to take my order when the waiter comes back."

Himiko looked at Tezuka, confused. "But I don't know what you prefer."

"Tell him that I want the chef's special."

Without waiting for a reply, Tezuka left through the bamboo sliding door. Himiko was left behind discontented.

Fuji stopped a great distance away from Tezuka to allow for privacy, but enough within reach in case something happened. As he stood watching his charge speaking on the phone, he wondered to himself why Tezuka's teasing affected him so strangely compared to Atobe's teasing. Even though this was his first day, he already missed his team. At least with them, he felt more in control and not as trouble minded when he was with Tezuka.

He let out a sigh and shook his head. When he looked back up, Tezuka was walking toward him. He turned to open the door, but was stopped in mid-air.

"Fuji-san."

It shocked Fuji that Tezuka was averted to speak in the serious tone that he always carried. Fuji turned and looked at Tezuka.

"Are you alright?"

Fuji blinked and gave Tezuka a what-are-you-talking-about look.

Tezuka didn't want to admit it again, but Fuji was cute with that confused look on his face. He pulled himself together. "I didn't know what I did would affect you so much."

Fuji continued to stare wordlessly.

Tezuka fidgeted, as if what was about to leave his mouth something embarrassing to say. "I think I acted a bit rash with you earlier, and it was only meant as a joke. So, you don't need to take it to heart."

A smile slowly crept on Fuji's face. _Oh, so that is what this is about. _His nature took over. "Aww~" He cooed. "Is Tezuka-san worried about me? That's so cute!"

Tezuka stared at Fuji unbelievably, thinking he might have made a mistake choosing to cheer Fuji up. The annoying one was back full throttle. "Nevermind what I said." He huffed and turned around.

Fuji chuckled lightly. He managed to stop the door from opening by Tezuka. "I was just teasing you, Tezuka-san, but thank you for assuring me that you don't hate me and find me unbearable."

_Was that what Fuji had been thinking that made him not like himself?_ Tezuka thought in his head as he looked at the crown of Fuji's head. "I don't hate you. You're just…" He looked away when Fuji peered up. Since he was taller, he towered over the agent. "Annoying sometimes."

Fuji stifled a laugh and tried to be serious. "I can't help it you know."

Tezuka sighed exasperatedly and tucked his hands into his pant pockets. "I know, it's your nature."

Fuji smiled genuinely, minus all those mischievousness. "Yeah, so you're going to have to live with it."

"I think the food should be done by now." Tezuka commented off-handedly, not knowing what else to say. He had to admit, the carefree Fuji was better than the serious Fuji.

Fuji nodded and opened the door. It was back to normal.

******O.O******

Fuji stood rooted on the cemented walkway as he looked up at the big sign hung above him. He truly didn't expect Tezuka to come here after lunch. He thought Tezuka wasn't the type to go…shopping. He made his confusion known.

Tezuka replied. "I need to get my mother a birthday present."

"Ohhh." Fuji hummed before he lit up. "How sweet!"

Tezuka groaned and went in the spinning door.

It was a whole quarter of an hour that Tezuka had been standing in front of a glass case indecisive about which color he should choose. Since Himiko was considered close to his mother, he decided to get her opinion. "Yellow or the light green?" He held up two sets of bracelets. Each set had 3 charm bracelets that were tied together with a colored ribbon.

Himiko hummed as she thought. "I think yellow would suit Ayana-san better. It suits her complexion more."

Tezuka nodded. A girl's eyes are always better, but with one look at Fuji, he raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Fuji had his eyes fixated on the bracelets with a pending frown. "I say green. Both colors match Lady Tezuka just as well, but green gives her a more youthful look."

Tezuka was surprised. He didn't even know these things about what colors can bring out certain traits.

"That's not necessarily true. Yellow can do the same thing. Moreover, the vibrant yellow would make the color of her eyes stand out more." Himiko looked over at Fuji.

Fuji saw challenge in her eyes. His smile widened. "Lady Tezuka is a nature person. I'm sure she would love green more."

Tezuka speechlessly stared at the two agents in front of him battling out their opinions. It seemed as if they were salesperson trying to get him buy their merchandise. "My mother's favorite color is lavender." He felt that he should let them know that.

The agents tore their eyes from each other to look at Tezuka.

"Just so you know." Tezuka equipped and put down the bracelets.

"Oh."

Tezuka sighed. "Maybe bracelet is not the best choice." He returned the bracelets to the salesperson and left the store.

Himiko ran after her charge. "How about perfume?"

"Doesn't she already have a whole glass case of that?" Tezuka asked.

"Well yes, she collects perfume. But it doesn't hurt to add another item to her collection, and you can find her a limited edition oversea. She'd be really happy."

Tezuka hummed in contemplation. That sounded like a good idea, but it'd take a lot of effort doing research and flying oversea.

"Lady Tezuka's birthday is in less than a week, right?" Fuji asked, earning a nod from Tezuka. "Then there wouldn't be enough time." He could feel a disapprovingly glare from Himiko, but he ignored it.

"Then, what do you suggest?" Tezuka asked, clearly interested in Fuji's idea. Although Fuji's smile was all the same to most people, Tezuka could tell the current uncanny smile promised something good.

"Do you know culinary skills, Tezuka-san?"

Himiko frowned in slight confusion. As far as she knew, no masters in the Tezuka household had ever cooked before. She figured she should make it known, in case Fuji didn't know. "Tezuka-san's family has their own kitchen crew, Fuji-san. They don't need to cook."

Unexpectedly, Fuji grinned and snapped his fingers. "Exactly the point!"

Tezuka raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How is that the point?"

"Well, if you think about it, Lady Tezuka can have almost anything if she wishes. So, why not give her something that no one else but you can give her?" Fuji was glowing, and it amazed Tezuka how it was possible unless Fuji was a fallen star.

If it wasn't for Fuji's suggestion, he would have never thought of that idea. It was good. Splendid. And the best! But on second thought, "I can't cook." He stated deadpanned.

"It sounds brilliant, but don't you think it's dangerous for Tezuka-san to be in the kitchen?" Himiko said with a challenge in her voice. The idea was good, but she wanted to be the one with the gift idea.

Fuji turned fully to the girl, masking an innocent face. "Are you saying that the kitchen is a dangerous place?"

Himiko scoffed. "Yes, Fuji-san. Have you ever been in the kitchen before? There are knives and fire practically everywhere."

Fuji thought that was ridiculous. "Now don't be ridiculous." He waved it off nonchalantly in the air. "I'm sure Tezuka-san is more careful than letting himself getting poked the first time he comes into the kitchen."

Tezuka felt himself twitching. He wondered if they knew that they were insulting his pride by discussing about him like that, if not directly. Really, would he be that careless as to turn the kitchen into a battlefield that compromised his safety?

Fuji continued. "And of course I've been in the kitchen. I'm an agent, not a wealthy entrepreneur's son. In addition, I've never had a maid before, so of course I have to cook for myself."

Tezuka almost dropped his jaw. Even if he was wealthy, it didn't mean that he had the rich boy's complex. He wasn't even spoiled.

"Then you should know how easy it is to get cut or burn." Himiko retorted.

Tezuka felt like he had wasted a good 15 minutes by standing there listening to the two agents arguing. Letting out a silent sigh, he inconspicuously left.

"Actually, Himiko-san, getting cut or burn is the most difficult thing that I can do in the kitchen."

Himiko gritted her teeth. "Maybe for you, but it's different for Tezuka-san! Who cares if you accidentally chopped one of your fingers off?"

Fuji clucked his tongue and narrowed his eyes playfully. "Oh you really are a devil."

Himiko hmphed and turned away. As soon as her eyes landed on the spot where Tezuka was supposed to stand, her eyes widened like a saucer. "Uh…where's Tezuka-san?"

Fuji frowned and turned around, swiveling his head around in an attempt to find Tezuka. "Tezuka-san?"

Without wasting another second, they sprinted off in different directions to look for their missing charge.

It was just her luck that she found Tezuka first. He was standing by the escalator texting with his hand phone. She ran up to him. "Tezuka-san!"

Tezuka turned his head to look at the girl. "You're done?"

Himiko looked at him in confusion. "What am I done with, Tezuka-san?"

Tezuka shrugged and proceeded down the escalator. "Your dispute with Fuji-san."

She followed him down, smiling nervously. Was Tezuka being sarcastic? "It wasn't a dispute." She mumbled. "He was being difficult."

As they reached ground level, Fuji ran up to them, clinging onto Tezuka's arm like a child. "Found you!"

Tezuka looked peculiarly at Fuji and shrugged the agent off to fix his shirt.

"Mou, Tezuka-san, you left me behind." Fuji pouted, following Tezuka on his right side. "I thought I was lost and that I wouldn't be able to get back home."

Tezuka raised an unbelieving eyebrow. _If he would get lost in a simple shopping mall, then he would be lost in a jungle somewhere on his last mission_.

"So, were you able to find anything on your own?" Fuji curiously asked.

Tezuka gave him a quick glance. "None yet."

"Ah, that's all right!" Fuji encouraged, pumping his fist in the air. "We can continue tomorrow, and I'll help you!"

Tezuka groaned, massaging his temples. He didn't want to go shopping with the duo again.

******O.O******

His blue eyes hadn't left the sight of the bright round moon on the clear sky for a whole 10 minutes. Traveling around the world for so many times in his young life had taught him the art of moon peace. Every time he was given an assignment, he would spend time at night looking up at the moon to mentally prepare himself. Of course, this had always turned out well. He also adopted a sixth sense feeling with the moon. When the moon was covered in shadow, it would mean that something bad was coming his way, and it proved to be true many times in the past.

It was strange, but true.

Fuji was broken out of his reverie when the door behind cracked open. It was Tezuka.

"You're still here?"

Fuji nodded with a peaceful smile. "I can't leave you alone. It's an assignment given to me, and I'm not planning to fail just yet."

Tezuka grunted and came down the steps to reach the ground that Fuji was standing on. "I told you earlier that you can go home, and then come back tomorrow."

Fuji shook his head. His hair shiningly danced under the moon. "My home is 5 hours away. Going back and forth would waste my time. Besides, I know you like having me around, even though you don't show it."

Tezuka gave him a glare. He didn't want to admit that it was partially true because he knew Fuji was just joking around. "Do you ever stop being annoying?" He crossed his arms.

Fuji chuckled behind his hands. "But life would be so dull!" He said excitedly. "If I'm someone like Himiko-san, then you would hate it more because I bring amusement to your life and she doesn't."

"Are you saying that I'm boring?"

Fuji waved his hand in the air with a grin. "I didn't say that. I think it's actually the opposite. You entertain me!"

Tezuka frowned in confusion. As far as he could remember, he didn't do a thing to entertain the agent. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you."

And there was that Cheshire grin again. "Because you missed me?" Fuji batted his eyelashes.

Tezuka almost blushed, but he turned around and walked back to his room.

"Oh Tezuka-san." Fuji called out.

Tezuka turned to look over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Why did you come out here?"

Tezuka suddenly remembered. "I was thinking of taking a breather."

"Oh." Fuji formed a round shape with his mouth. "Then you should stay out here for a while longer."

"No, I-"

Tezuka was stopped short by Fuji's insistent voice. "I'm about to leave anyways, so I won't bother you." Before Tezuka could say anything, Fuji had already left.

Tezuka shifted his gaze from Fuji's disappearance spot to the moon, wondering where Fuji was going to sleep tonight.

******O.O******

The next day, Asakura was too busy at his station that he forgot he was supposed to come down to his grandson's house to settle the bodyguard business.

As work built up, no one remembered. Fuji and Himiko continued to be beside their charge.

******O.O******

Tezuka woke up to a commotion that he heard that was going on outside.

Fuji and Himiko were standing in the front.

"What's going on?"

Himiko turned to Tezuka and gave him a quick bow. "Tezuka-dono was attacked and abducted this morning when he arrived at the company."

Tezuka's heart almost stopped. He quickly inquired. "What about my grandfather?"

Himiko looked more relax. "Tezuka-sama is safe. He arrived 10 minutes before Tezuka-dono arrived."

Before Tezuka could sprinted away, Fuji blocked him. "You cannot go there right now."

Tezuka glared at him, challenging him with a firm voice. "Why can't I?"

"Because there is no use for you to be there right now. The enemy could still be out there waiting for you to show up." Fuji challenged back.

"I can do whatever I want. Your job is to protect me, not to give me order." Tezuka hissed, and then pushed Fuji aside.

Fuji came to a temporary shock before he began to move. He sprinted after Tezuka and grabbed Tezuka's wrist. "I am protecting you." Fuji hissed back in equal intensity.

Tezuka frowned and twisted his arm to remove it from Fuji's grip. He didn't expect that action would provoke an offensive reflex from Fuji.

Fuji's hand flew to his neck, but he deflected it. The agent was trying to black-out him.

Himiko looked at the duo fighting worriedly. The look on Tezuka's face told her that his injured shoulder was feeling pain. Without wasting another second, she stepped in on behalf of Tezuka, successfully prying Fuji off of Tezuka.

Fuji glared at her, jerking her back a little. But, he didn't say anything.

"If Tezuka-san wants to go there, then we'll go there with him to protect him."

"Can't you both realize? That morning attack was a decoy for something bigger." Fuji yelled between his gritted teeth. Why couldn't these two listen to him?

Although Tezuka wanted to do what Fuji said, his mind to him to do otherwise. Without another word, he turned and left. Himiko came after him.

Fuji groaned in defeat and frustration. There was nothing he could do now. He had no choice but to follow them.

Fuji followed them from behind on his motorcycle. It would put him in greater advantage if the enemy gave them a surprised attack on the road. Luckily, they arrived at the company safely.

Tezuka immediately entered the building on haste, but a group of 3 guards came up and bowed. "Tezuka-san."

"Move aside." Tezuka order them.

They didn't bulge, so he decided to push through with Himiko aiding him.

"We were given order to refuse your entry. The force is still clearing the upper floors."

There was something about the guards that made him feel doubtful. His eyes tore away when he saw Inui coming out with a strange expression on his face. Fuji looked back at the guards and a small bright light assaulted him eyes. A realization came to him. Since when were federal guards allowed to wear jewelry on their faces?

Fuji immediately pulled Tezuka back just in time to avoid a knife attack. "Who are you?" He held up two pistols to their faces.

Himiko widened her eyes. She stepped back and got out her gun. She moved beside Tezuka.

Before anything else could happen, a gun was fired and Himiko was shot on her arm. A few seconds earlier, she caught a red dot on Tezuka and knew what it was right away. If it wasn't for her fast reflex, she wouldn't be able to step push Tezuka aside and take the shot. Her gun flew out of her hand.

Fuji quickly looked back to see Tezuka aiding Himiko into the car.

By now, guards had run to the front.

Fuji fought them in close range. Snipers from his side searched for the shooter. 3 gun shots rang out and the three enemy in disguise fell to the floor. Fuji had his gun pointed to the temple of one of them.

He opened his eyes. "Who sent you?"

******O.O******

Fuji was in charge of the interrogation. This was usually done by a division chief in the behavioral analysis team, but time didn't allow that.

He had his ways getting answers out of people, and the captives weren't any different. It didn't take long before the trio broke down mentally and confessed. They were immediately escorted to the capitol prison.

As Fuji walked out of the police station, he heard his name called. He turned around and saw Inui and Echizen.

"Hey." He smiled and greeted them.

Echizen had his head slightly bowed. Fuji knew the younger boy was one of his many admirers for the works he had done.

"How did it go?" Inui shifted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. He wasn't holding his notebook like usual.

Fuji shrugged. "Well I supposed. They confessed everything that we need to know, so we have a leading point. We can contact their leader and trace their hide out."

Inui and Echizen listened intently as Fuji divested the information he got out from the interrogation.

******O.O******

Tezuka looked up as Fuji entered the room. Ayana was there watching the doctor fixing Himiko's arm. Tezuka was sitting nearby. The determined look that was on Tezuka's face earlier was now replaced by worry. Tezuka Kunikazu sat beside his grandson with a serious look.

Fuji bowed in respect. He explained to them their current plan to lure the leader out.

******O.O******

"Fuji-san!" Tezuka luckily caught the agent before he took off.

Fuji regarded Tezuka with an air of distance. There wasn't a smile on his face. "What is it, Tezuka-san?"

Tezuka cringed internally at the coldness in the voice. He cleared the lump in his throat and began speaking. "I want to apologize for earlier."

Contrary to what Tezuka expected, Fuji didn't look surprise. In fact, his expression didn't change. "I'm in no position to forgive you as you didn't do anything wrong. You're my charge and I'm your bodyguard. If anything, I should apologize for giving them a chance to make a move on you."

Tezuka didn't like the ice barrier Fuji was putting up. He could feel an unfamiliar string tugging painfully at his heart. "I should've listened to your words of warning."

Fuji looked away. "If that's what bothering you, then I might as well remind you that my job is to protect you. I should've tried harder to keep you back, but I was ignorant that I would be able to prevent any injuries today."

"Stop that." Tezuka was tired of listening to Fuji taking the blame. He didn't want to hear any more of it from Fuji, and why was Fuji being so difficult?

"Stop what, Tezuka-san?" Fuji faked innocence.

"I already apologized to you, why can't you just accept it?" Tezuka wanted to yell out in frustration. "It's my life that I risked, why does it matter to you?"

Fuji's face hardened as he stared at Tezuka. "Tezuka-san." His voice grimed as he raised his voice. "Your life matters to me! You are my mission! You matter! I don't understand why you are insistent on getting my forgiveness! I'm not blaming you for anything." He was getting irritated.

"I know that you are angry." Tezuka cut in.

"It shouldn't matter to you."

"But it does." _My heart feels heavy knowing that you're angry with me._

The creases that rarely formed when he became sad were apparent. He wanted the old Fuji back. He probably didn't understand what was going on in his heart that kept on pounding painfully at his chest, but one thing he knew was that he wanted Fuji to treat him with the same warmth that was there in the beginning. "I'm sorry."

The small jerky movement from Fuji's shoulders told Tezuka that Fuji was listening. "I need to hear it from you that you forgive me."

Fuji gazed back into Tezuka's face expressionlessly. "Maybe you're still shocked about what happened earlier. Why don't you take a rest?"

Fuji didn't give him time to respond. "I need to get back to the station. Goodnight, Tezuka-san." He turned and started walking away.

Tezuka stared after Fuji's back in disappointment. He felt that there was nothing that he could do at the moment, so he retreated back to his room.

******O.O******

Instead of seeing Fuji at his house, he saw Fuji among his team preparing.

Asakura waited for his grandson to approach him. Meanwhile, he didn't miss the longing and sad look in Tezuka's eyes as the young man looked through the glass wall into the training battleground outside. The only team out there was Fuji's. He knew what was going on.

"Grandpa."

Asakura raised an eyebrow at Tezuka as he looked at the boy up and down. "You look tired, Kunimitsu. I'm sure your father is fine."

Tezuka smiled a little. "I know."

Asakura shook his head and looped an arm around Tezuka's shoulders, leading them both into the hallway.

"We've devised a plan yesterday evening with Fuji and the presented chiefs. It's not a perfect plan, but it's the best taking in account of everyone's safety, especially your father. We were able to connect with our enemy."

Tezuka nodded.

"I asked you to come here because you are an important component in our plan."

Tezuka didn't know how he knew, but he just knew what his grandpa was going to say next. "Am I part of the exchange?"

Asakura nodded. "It might be a surprise to you, but Fuji suggested it."

Tezuka was indeed surprised. He felt like he had lost Fuji's trust.

While Asakura was leading Tezuka into more details, Fuji and the Chiefs came. "We're geared up, sir."

"Good." Asakura nodded, holding his hands behind his back. "I've just debrief our plan to my grandson, so he knows what he's supposed to do."

Fuji nodded.

Inui came in through the door, holding a paper in his hand. "A confirmation just got through. They agreed on our condition."

"Thank you." Asakura said and gave Fuji a signal to move out.

Fuji bowed. "I'll take it from here. Please follow me, Tezuka-san." They left together.

"We will also begin scouting and setting up surveillance." Asakura said to the remainder of the men.

******O.O******

Tezuka didn't say anything as he stood next to Fuji while the chief agent giving out orders. The authority emanated from Fuji was something he considered intimidating. He was lucky that they weren't enemies.

They moved out in one car when it was 11. The drive was long, possibly 50 minutes. Fuji sat in the shotgun seat while Tezuka at the back with two other agents that Fuji personally picked out for this mission, including the driver. Their ride was silent with occasional incoming radio messages.

When they left the sight of skyscrapers and houses, they road instantly merged into a barren land. Ahead were dense trees on the side of the road.

Soon, they reached an abandoned warehouse that used to be part of a past operation. Metal scrapes and broken houses scattered around it.

As soon as their car came to a stop, red laser points were seen on the dashboard.

"Stay here until I give the signal to come out." Fuji told them as he loaded his gun, tucking it behind his back. He took a quick look into the rear mirror (Tezuka was looking directly back at him) before opening the door and stepping out into the open. He held a briefcase firmly in his grip.

He moved to stand in front of the car and blocked out the laser.

The big garage door opened and two men appeared. One was in a black suit while the other was hidden behind an armor vest and holding an AK. There was a moment of silent observation from the man in suit before he smiled crookedly.

"Who knew the chief of all police would send a beauty to be a negotiator? I might change my mind and keep you to myself."

Fuji's stoic expression didn't change, although he felt like putting a bullet through the man's brain.

The suited man stepped a few steps out of the warehouse. "Where is the heir?"

Fuji smiled unexpectedly. "Where is your captive?"

The man twisted his head back and looked up at the window high on the warehouse front.

Fuji followed and saw Kuniharu being brought into view. It was obvious that Kuniharu was tied up by the way he was standing.

"Like I said, he's still alive. Now where is the heir?" The man demanded.

The smile didn't waver. "In the car, but first, I need you to tell your men to fall back. I don't feel comfortable with snipers pointing guns at my face."

The man laughed. "What if I refuse?"

Fuji shifted and held the case in front of him. "I suppose your whole gang would go down with Tezuka-dono. I figured it would take one life to wipe you out."

The man looked at Fuji darkly before giving signals for his men to fall back. "You got yourself a deal."

Fuji nodded and turned around to signal Tezuka and his team to get out of the car. The agents surrounded around Tezuka, with Fuji walking in the front as they followed the man into the warehouse.

Inside the warehouse, Fuji took note of the many passages and stairs as well as the number of their enemies. He could tell there wasn't many, but enough to make escaping difficult especially with how well they were armed.

They were lead into a room at the way back of the warehouse. There was a set of sofas and coffee table in the middle of the room. Tezuka and Fuji sat down on one set while the other 3 agents stood behind them.

The man in suit sat down. He also had 5 men with him in the room. He looked at Tezuka with a hateful look. Spat out. "You look exactly like your old man."

Tezuka stared stonily back, ignoring the comment.

Fuji glanced at Tezuka at the corner of his eyes. He looked back at the man. "I need to see Tezuka-dono."

The man nodded and told one of his men to go get Kuniharu.

Creases stated to appear on Tezuka's forehead as he continued to look at the man. He felt fury increases as each second went by. Unfortunately, the source came from a greasy suited man seemingly devouring Fuji with the eyes that Tezuka didn't approve.

Fuji had his attention fixed to the door, but he could tell Tezuka was not in a good mood. He deducted that it was caused by the situation they were in, so he ignored that.

Finally, Kuniharu was brought in. His hands were tied in front with a thick rope. "Tezuka-dono." Fuji stood up to receive Kuniharu and immediately cut the rope free with a knife in his sleeve.

Fuji signaled his agents to come forward and appointed them Kuniharu's guards. Fuji sat back down, opening the case. "You're safe once Tezuka-dono enters the car."

"Do you know that I can kill you all right now and escape with the ransom alive?"

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that. I suggest you not trying anything not mentioned in the contract or you're going to end up empty handed."

The man chuckled amusingly, making Fuji wondered if the man was scared at all. "What's your name?"

"Knowing my name wouldn't be any use to you. It's about time you release my men and Tezuka-dono." Fuji countered back.

The man nodded. "Let them go."

The father and son looked at each other, silently praying for each other's safety.

"Tezuka-dono. Let's go." One of the agent steered Kuniharu out the door.

Tezuka looked at Fuji. "Will they be all right?"

Fuji looked back at him with a tone of firmness as if he knew exactly what would happen. "They will be."

Fuji watched his team from the security cameras.

The man placed a piece of paper on the table. "Like on this contract, you both will come with me until I'm at a safe designation."

Fuji nodded and looked back at the TV.

A moment of silence passed by as Fuji studied the TV until the man stood up. Kuniharu was almost out.

"Let's go."

Fuji nodded, and they left the room with the man walking in the front and Fuji and Tezuka in between the man and his men.

In his head, Fuji had anticipated that Kuniharu should be in the car by now. The corridor that they were walking down was quite narrow. It only allowed 3-people traffic, but occasionally, there would be another corridor branching out from the one they were in currently. Fuji moved closer to Tezuka, letting their fingers sliding past each other's.

Tezuka glanced at Fuji and knew what Fuji was planning. At the next intersection, they made a run. It was too quick that the men didn't have enough time to react. By the time they made a chase, Fuji and Tezuka were nowhere in sight.

The man glowered after the trail and shot in the air. "Fuck!" He underestimated them yet again.

******O.O******

They were only about 10 more meters from sunlight when a gunshot was heard. Without wasting time, one of the agent shot the enemy who was leading them. The agents then pulled Kuniharu behind one of the metal cargo boxes, saving them from the unfortunate end of the machine guns that fired at them.

"What's going on?" Kuniharu knew that until they reached the car, they still wouldn't be safe, but what was happening with his son that caused a gunshot? Was he shot? Kuniharu horrified at the thought.

Kuniharu looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was the agent that made the shot. "I'm positive that the gunshot wasn't meant for your son. As long as Fuji-san is still alive, nothing will happen to him."

"Are you sure?" Kuniharu held a firm gaze at the agent.

With the same confidence, the agent nodded. "With my life on the line. But now, we have to move to a safer spot."

******O.O******

Every time they came across an enemy, Fuji took them down with a silencer and he would pick up a gun each time, tucking them somewhere on his body.

"Do you know the way out?" Tezuka asked as they came to a stop at a dead end.

Fuji turned. "No. Judging from the direction that we've been heading toward, I'd say we're in the east side of the building. If we're not near the exit, we should've at least been in the middle." He handed Tezuka his silencer. "Take it. You never know when you'll need it."

Tezuka was hesitant to take it, but he did it anyways. Fuji was in charge now.

"You only have 3 shots. If you're good, you can take out 3 by yourself."

Tezuka wanted to say that he didn't know how to shoot, but he decided that it was best to keep it to himself. Besides, he had had archery lessons. Maybe that'll come in handy.

Fuji took the lead again as they moved silently through the metal walls. It was a while and 15 dead enemies later that Fuji and Tezuka reached the giant room that stored large metal cargo boxes. From their current hide-out, they could hear shooting not too far away.

Fuji leaned in closer to Tezuka's ears. "Tezuka-dono is still in here."

Tezuka turned his head almost too fast. It if was any faster, his lips would've brushed Fuji's lips. Fuji jerked away slightly, but his expression didn't change. "He was supposed to be out before we made our move."

Fuji looked away. "I know. I think I might have made a mistake. They should've been in the car. I was so sure of that."

Tezuka bit his lips. "Now what?"

Fuji pondered for a while before they heard voices. They moved to a safer spot. "We need to find your father and my men first. I need to know what is going on before I make a decision."

Tezuka nodded in comprehension.

Within a minute, Tezuka almost had heart attacks with Fuji's random firing. The agent said it was a kind of signal that would lead the others to them. True or not, it was very risky in Tezuka's opinion.

Much to Tezuka's surprise, they bumped into his father and the team sooner than expected. Tezuka was united with his father, alive. "Are you alright?" Kuniharu checked his son from top to bottom.

His father's trembling hands told Tezuka and his father was scared, even though the composure was the opposite. "I'm fine." Tezuka reassured his father with a firm hand squeeze. Right then, Tezuka noticed something. "You don't have a bulletproof vest."

Kuniharu blinked at him. He didn't realize it before.

"Here, take mine." Tezuka immediately took off the vest.

"No." Kuniharu stopped his son, but the younger Tezuka shrugged off the older's hands.

"No, you need to take this." Tezuka repeated. "I trust Fuji-san to keep me safe. It's better if you have this, and it'd make me less worried."

Kuniharu understood the seriousness of the situation, so he complied.

Off to the side, Fuji conversed in whisper with his comrades. They told him that the path they were lead out was redirected from the main path in which they came from, so it took them longer to get out.

"I want you two to get Tezuka-dono out the moment I opened the gate, so you should be somewhere near the gate, but safe." Fuji pointed to two men. "Got it?" They nodded.

Fuji turned to the third agent. "And I want you to take Tezuka-san. Your mission will be the same as theirs, but you'll be with Tezuka-san at another location."

The third agent nodded. "There are 2 men with machine guns on the bridge on top of the gate-"

Fuji cut in. "Then I will take them out. I'll clear the path for you, so all of you need to do is be on the lookout for hidden gunmen. I'll try to take most of them out."

His comrades nodded in comprehension.

"Now, how is everyone's ammo?"

"Nearly full."

"Good. Let's do this." Fuji smiled and put his hand in the middle. His comrades followed and they made a silent cheer.

Fuji dispersed his comrades once preparation was done. Fuji watched as his two comrades and Kuniharu moved lithely away. Once they were out of sight, Fuji turned to Tezuka and the third agent. "It's best if we split up. My friend will protect you from here on."

Tezuka frowned. "What about you?"

"I will be on the offense." Fuji took out another small gun and handed over to Tezuka. "You might need it again."

This time, Tezuka took it without hesitation. His first and second shot were killed two.

"Take that direction." Fuji pointed toward a path.

The third agent nodded and begged Tezuka to follow. Fuji watched them go. Then, his eyes squinted. Something was not right. "Wait."

The agent and Tezuka turned around. Their faces looked like they were caught.

Fuji came closer. His eyes stared intently at Tezuka's torso. "Where's your vest?"

Tezuka was completely taken back by the fury in Fuji's now opened eyes. It was the first time, if not including the first time they met. The intensity in Fuji's eyes was different. It made him more intimidating.

Tezuka felt like he was caught doing something grave. "I gave it to my father."

Fortunately, Fuji lifted his eyes from Tezuka. After a blink, Fuji's vest was held in front of Tezuka. "Put this on." Fuji commanded.

Tezuka looked at Fuji. "No. You need it more than I do." Tezuka pushed it back into Fuji's hands.

"Don't make the same mistake twice." Fuji hardened his gaze. Tezuka knew what Fuji meant. "Put this on." He repeated.

"Tezuka-san, please put this on." The agent decided to intervene. They were losing precious time.

Tezuka sighed in defeat. He didn't want Fuji to get mad at him again. When the vest was secured on Tezuka's torso, Fuji let them go. He kept his eyes opened as they commenced his new mission: to wipe out all armed enemies.

He could hear 2 pairs of feet scouting the area he was hiding. He sat still, keeping his breathing noiseless. The footsteps got louder, and when he spotted two shadows approaching from behind, he swiftly jumped out and delivered two critical shots. Immediately followed after were series of firing from the machine guns.

Fuji jumped out of the way in time and re route. Next target would be the machine gunners. It was a wide distance from his current spot to the two men on the bridge. They were blocked by a metal box. He would have to move close enough to take a critical shot for both men.

He leapt from a box's shadow to the next, sniping at the enemies out in the open.

Soon, he was close enough and took his shots. Unfortunately, the second shot was a miss. He almost got penetrated if he didn't move out of the machine gun's way quick enough. When the shooting ended, Fuji knew his position was given out. He decided to make a brash move and jumped out. He fired at the head that was peeping out from the hiding spot. Head shot! He moved to another location. Now, he just need to get to the leverage that would open the gate. He took a calm deep breath before making a run up the thin metal stairs.

Incessant gun firing from the lower ground was shot at him as he made his way up. When he reached the top, he threw his body behind the metal box and waited until the firing ceased.

Once he was cleared, he sprinted out and headed over to the lever on the other side of the bridge to activate it. Gunshots followed him, but his nimble body didn't allow to be hit.

The gate opened slowly. He took safety behind the machine gun again. To his luck, he spotted a few smoke grenades nearby. It'd help his team getting the Tezukas out.

Once the gate was fully opened, he stood up and threw the grenades as far as he could in many directions. Before he sat down to take over the machine guns, he spotted his team running toward the gate. He aimed for the enemies who came after.

The incessant firing and the smoke covered the room like a shroud. It was silent. Then, sounds of cars were heard. Fuji knew the rescue team was here.

He left his position and climbed down the stairs, making his way out of the warehouse. "You are late." Fuji said with a smile as he looked at Asakura. His boss smiled back and patted his shoulders.

"Like you predicted, there were explosives set up around the perimeter. We had to get out bomb squat to deactivate them, and it took us quite some times to get here. But, good job once again."

Fuji nodded. "Thank you. Did you quarantine the warehouse yet?"

Asakura nodded and looked toward the warehouse. "I had men going from the back. They'll be done in no time." Truth to his word, men came reporting to him and Fuji that the warehouse was cleared.

"30 dead bodies. None alive."

"Did you find the boss's body?" Fuji asked suddenly.

The men looked at him. Fuji continued. "He's the only one wearing a suit."

They shook their head and one man spoke up. "No."

Fuji frowned and looked at Asakura. His boss gave him a pending look. "That's strange."

Fuji looked back at the warehouse. "We need to quarantine again. I'm going in."

Fuji followed the quarantine squad into the warehouse. But before he went further, a laser was targeted at Tezuka's head. Fuji's eyes widened. "TEZUKA-SAN!" Every head turned, but their reactions weren't fast enough. With all the adrenaline in his body, he dashed toward Tezuka. "Look out!"

Tezuka only turned to see Fuji dashing toward him before he was pushed to the floor and a gunshot was heard. Fuji's body was thrown to the ground. Another gunshot fired and the sound of glass was heard. Asakura had taken a shot and killed the boss.

******O.O******

**TBC**

******O.O******

**AN:** I think many are quite disappointed regarding this update. You must be thinking: "Now why would she start another story when there are LT and TR to update?" ^_^ One reason: this plot was more intereting to me than the plots of my in progress stories. With that said,

**Should I continue with LT or TR next?** Since this story is _completed _(I'll post the next chapter when I got lots of satisfied responses), I can focus on either TR or LT.


	2. Chapter 2

****O.O****

Continuing…

****O.O****

Tezuka's eyes widened slowly as he realized what just happened. He immediately whipped his head around to see Fuji lying 3 meters away. There was a pool of blood on right side of Fuji's chest. Tezuka got there first. Fuji's eyes were fluttering as his consciousness was slipping in and out.

"Fuji-san." Tezuka breathed out lightly. His voice was quivering. He wanted to touch Fuji, but he was afraid of hurting Fuji more. Finally, he got his voice back. "Get the paramedic!" He screamed.

Fuji's head lolled and their eyes met. Tezuka wanted to cry when he saw tears running from Fuji's blue eyes. They were sad. He couldn't hear anything when more people rushed to Fuji's side. He didn't pay attention to them. All he cared at the moment was holding on tight to Fuji's hand, hoping Fuji wouldn't let go either.

The red light to the surgical ward was still on, no matter how many times Tezuka looked up at it. His eyes were red and dry now. The tears had drained.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder. "Kunimitsu." He turned around.

"Grandpa."

"…" Asakura studied his grandson. Ever since the boy was born, he had never seen Tezuka let out so much emotion. It surprised and scared him at the same time. He was scared that Fuji's mishap would deeply affect Tezuka so much that there was no rectification. "You should go home. I'll be here until Fuji comes out."

Tezuka shook his head and pushed his grandpa's hand off his shoulder. He took a step back. "I have to stay here. What if something happens to him when I'm not here?"

Asakura's forehead creased. "Nothing bad is going to happen to him. I promise."

Tezuka bit his lips. He hoped he could rely on that promise to be stronger. "I didn't want to take it, but he kept insisting…"

Asakura understood. If Fuji had worn his bulletproof vest, then he wouldn't be in the hospital. But simultaneously, if Fuji had the vest on and didn't get to Tezuka on time, Tezuka would have taken heavy casualty. He shook his head and assured his grandson. "It wasn't your fault. Fuji knew what was best given the situation, and he did the right thing. Even though he is not awake right now, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Tezuka felt like crying again, but there were no more tears left. He rubbed his eyes in weariness.

Asakura stepped closer and patted Tezuka's shoulder. He pulled his grandson into a hug. "Listen to me and go home. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." He hauled his grandson out.

****O.O****

As time passed, Asakura began to feel the numbness of sitting and standing in waiting. Fuji's fellow team members had come and gone, but he dismissed them all a minute ago. It had been so quiet that a simple sound of heavy doors opening took him by surprise. He turned toward the door to see a doctor coming out.

The expression on the doctor's face was a relief to Asakura's concern.

When Fuji woke up, he was in the recovery room. The bright light made his head hurt. He moved his right arm up to cover his eyes when he felt immense pain, eliciting a groan from him. A flood of memory came back to him and he felt his other hand being held tightly. He turned his head and opened his eyes slowly.

Asakura came into view. "Asakura-san." Fuji breathed out, almost too labored. His voice was barely audible.

Asakura gave him a soft smile. "You're okay."

Fuji smiled weakly. "I'm still alive?" He asked rhetorically.

Asakura patted his hand. There was a pause as he contemplated whether or not to let Fuji know about Tezuka. "Kunimitsu has been waiting for you."

Fuji's eyes widened slightly in surprise when he heard the name. Was Tezuka okay? It didn't escape Asakura's tentative eyes. "Where's he?"

"Home. I still haven't let him know that you came out."

They fell into silence. The feeling that Fuji was experiencing couldn't be described. He was glad that he was able to save Tezuka on time, but there was something that his boss wasn't telling him.

A moment later, Fuji's gaze fell on Asakura once again. "Why not?"

Asakura held his gaze firm on Fuji. "Because he's in love with you."

Fuji's mouth went dry. He didn't know how to response or react. Why would Asakura tell him that. Obviously, his boss didn't like the idea of his grandson falling in love with a male agent. In the end, he decided to evade it. "It isn't possible. We've only known each other for less than a week." Truth to be told, Fuji wasn't sure if he felt the same about Tezuka.

Asakura nodded. He understood something. "You don't love him back."

Fuji's eyes widened. It sounded almost like an accusation. "…I…I don't know." He held his head down, feeling guilt surging through his body out of sudden.

Asakura looked at the young agent in front of him. The boy was barely into adulthood when he joined the quad. He had watched Fuji like a father watching over his son. He knew Fuji enough to know that Fuji had never loved someone before. The boy was confused, and it wasn't his fault. He gently placed a hand over Fuji's shoulder. "I understand. You don't need to say anything."

"What would you like me to do?" Asakura asked.

Fuji looked down. "…I want to take a vacation."

Asakura raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. He would have given Fuji time off to recuperate even if Fuji didn't ask. He meant to ask Fuji what to do about Tezuka. "How long?"

Fuji swallowed dry. "A year."

Asakura was taken back, but he didn't show it. "What about my grandson?"

Fuji closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

****O.O****

"I'm sorry."

Tezuka couldn't tell whether or not his grandpa was telling the truth. His mouth suddenly went dry, and he couldn't speak. He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to scream at his grandpa for lying to him. He shook his head in denial as tears fell, and he ran away.

"Kunimitsu!"

Ayana held her son as he drifted off into sleep. She cried for his lost. As his mother, she understood what was going on. Her son had found his first love, but they couldn't be together.

Tezuka Kuniharu remembered the first time he found out that he was in love with Ayana. The feeling was bliss and fresh. He could sympathized with what his son was feeling. If he lost Ayana, he would probably be the same as his son. He knew his son was in love.

If Fuji was still alive and Tezuka came out and confessed, Kuniharu would've prevented his son from seeing and loving Fuji. Seeing his son like this, he would prefer having Tezuka and Fuji together.

Kunikazu refused to acknowledge that his precious grandson was in love with a man. So, he turned down the thought of seeing Tezuka, else he would have changed his mind like Kuniharu did. In the end, he loved his grandson too much to deny the boy anything.

****O.O****

Fuji knew Tezuka was sad. Watching Tezuka for the first few days after leaving the hospital was difficult for him, but he knew it was best for them both. The main reason Fuji didn't want to admit was that he didn't love Tezuka the way Tezuka loved him. Fuji liked Tezuka more than anyone could know, but love? He wasn't sure.

Tezuka was getting better day by day. Fuji spied on Tezuka every night until Tezuka was no longer in despair. That was when Fuji decided to leave.

No one on Fuji's team ever said anything, although they all knew Fuji was alive and getting better.

The day Fuji left for his hometown was the day that Tezuka vowed he would never love anyone else like he loved Fuji. His eyes became colder and his emotions were kept to himself. He had shut the door to his heart.

****O.O****

The breeze of the ocean from Chiba was a memory-maker. When he was little, his family used to come to the beach every weekend for a swim. It was a highlight of Chiba. Everyone swam.

"Syusuke." A female voice called him back from his trance. He pulled his face away from the window and turned to his sister.

"Yeah?"

Yumiko smiled, not the mischievous one. She missed her brother too much to tease or pull a prank on him. But after all, Fuji was too smart for prank. She wondered if her new ones would work on him. "What makes you decide to take a year off from your job?"

His smile didn't reach his eyes as he looked away, back to the moving scenery outside the window. They just passed the park. "Many reasons."

Yumiko's eyes were perceptive. Her brother's smile was sad, but why? "Mind telling me?"

Fuji looked back at her. He wondered why his parents didn't come to pick him up from the airport but let Yumiko came in their stead. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I got shot, so I need recovery time."

Yumiko chortled. "Wow, and that is not obvious enough."

Fuji chuckled. "I missed you guys. Can't an agent take a year off to spend time with his family?"

Yumiko smiled at that. She missed him too, more than he could ever know. "I see that shot brought out some senses into you. We haven't seen you for more than a year."

"But you know, that day, mom broke a plate and my right eye was twitching like crazy."

Fuji stayed silent.

Yumiko let out a long sigh. "We called Yuuta up, but he didn't pick up his phone. So, we called the school." Yumiko chuckled softly without merry. "Turned out, he was taking an English test. Mom and I were so glad. If one of us gets into trouble, Yuuta is the most likely candidate."

"Then there was dad. Unfortunately, he was oversea that day. Mom went crazy when she couldn't reach him. But I told her, maybe he was in the middle of the meeting. That was why he couldn't pick up the phone. So, we waited and mom tried calling back every 5 minutes. He picked up after the 5th call. He was okay. Then,"

Fuji could empathized his mom's and sister's predicament then. He would have freaked out too.

"We thought of you. Mom could think of all things possible when it comes to you. I called you, but the call didn't reach, so we called your boss and friends. None of the calls went in, and that was when we figured out that something bad happened to you. We were preparing to fly in when we received a call from your boss saying that you just got out of the surgical ward and that you were alive." There was a tear sliding down Yumiko's cheek.

"Nee-san." Fuji whispered. He hated himself for making his family worried about him when he was the one who always told his family to be careful. He tilted over and hugged his sister.

"I'm okay." Yumiko choked out in a small voice as she embraced her brother. "You're back, and you're okay now."

When they reached home, the rest of his family was there in front of their house welcoming him with big smiles. He was truly happy.

His mom cried as she hugged him, so tightly that the wound hurt, but he didn't tell her. Being in a mother's embrace was really comforting and healing. Even Yuuta, who was always hard headed, turned into a mess of emotions ran wild. They were just happy that Fuji came back alive.

After lunch, Fuji went out for a stroll on the beach with his brother. They talked about their life, catching up what they missed. The beach was peaceful and warm, only because Chiba residence was taking afternoon rest.

As he looked more at Yuuta, his brother had grown into a man, taller and more muscular.

"Saeki missed you a lot. He always asked if you'd called every time he saw me." Yuuta chuckled.

Fuji was surprised. Saeki and he were best friends until he left to go to the big city. At first, contacts were frequent. But after Fuji made it as an agent, things got busy and the frequent contacts became seldom. When Fuji came back to visit the year before, Saeki confessed his love for Fuji. At that time, Fuji didn't take it seriously. Subsequently, he forgot all about it until now. "How is he doing?"

Yuuta shrugged, kicking a shell from the sand floor they were walking on. "All right. Still single if that's what you wanted to ask."

Fuji hit his brother hard on the arm.

Yuuta fumed at him. "What was that for?"

Fuji smiled cheekily. "That was love, baby brother." He said before sprinted away toward the rows of palm trees.

Yuuta ran after Fuji, but he almost bumped into his brother when the older stopped abruptly.

"Syusuke."

Fuji's eyes glittered as he took in the sight of the person before him. "Kojirou!"

Yuuta knew Saeki would want time alone with his brother, so he left quietly.

The best friends took a walk along the forest path, catching up on their exciting life adventures.

"So, you'll be staying for a year?" They now sat on the big rocks under the tree foliage.

Fuji nodded. "I've decided be a normal civilian."

Saeki smiled softly at him. "I'd be nice if you stay forever."

Fuji smiled widely. "It'd be, but I can't." He leapt off the rock. "My boss needs me, and my team needs me. Come on, let's get something to drink. I'm thirsty."

Day merged into night, and then night merged into day. The cycle repeated as days passed onto months.

At daytime, he would help out Saeki's grandma ran a noodle shop when he was free. Other times, he stuck with his family doing things around the house, especially helping his mom managing the big garden at the back of the house. Life was peaceful, no more chasing and killing, like how he imagined it when he turned old.

It had been 7 months. Sitting under the stars, he realized many beauties of being in the countryside. The sky was constantly clear and dark at night, so star gazing was among many of the activities that people love.

Fuji turned his head when a person sat down beside him on the sand hill by the beach. "Hey."

Saeki smiled. "Hey, how long have you been out here?"

Fuji smiled back. He crossed his hands behind his head and lie down on the sand. "5 minutes ago. How was business?"

Saeki shrugged and then joined Fuji lying on the sand. "Just enough. Clients in clients out, nothing much interesting."

"Do you miss your job?"

Fuji nodded and gave a small smile. "Not only that, I miss the people I work with. They're the ones who keep me competent and sane once in awhile when I'm overly stressed."

"Ah~How envious." Saeki smiled softly. He wanted to be the one to make Fuji feel better when the latter is stressed too.

Fuji turned his head and looked at Saeki. "Don't be. I'm sure you have friends like that too."

Saeki snorted jokingly. "Mine's different Syusuke. Business is all about competition. We compete for clients and lie for benefits. There's no such thing as taking someone else's back."

Fuji shrugged and looked back up into the sky. "Yeah well, every situation is different. I deal with life and death most of the time, so people in my field of work value each other's life a lot. For you, it's all about finance. But still, the friends you have are the ones who give you moral support when you're down."

"Like you?"

"…" Fuji blinked. There was something different in that tone, like Saeki had a different meaning. But, he didn't want to probe. "Sure."

Saeki closed his eyes.

"Time fly doesn't it?" Fuji asked, although rhetorical. "5 more months and I'm back on duty."

Saeki grunted. He didn't say anything when the silence was stretched. But in his head, he was thinking if he should confessed to Fuji again. Making a decision, he sat up. "Ne Syusuke."

"Mhm?" Fuji didn't notice how Saeki had tensed up. His eyes were strayed up at the sky.

"Is there anyone that you like?"

"…" Fuji blinked before turning his eyes onto his friend. Confusion was written on his face. "What?"

Saeki twisted his body so he could look at Fuji. "I confessed to you that one time, and you never gave me an answer."

Fuji's eyes widened slightly as he tore his gaze away from Saeki. It felt so different now, the confession. It was awkward this time.

"I love you. I really do." Saeki pressed on. He leaned a bit closer to Fuji.

"…Kojirou, you…" Fuji began hesitantly, not knowing what to say. Inside, his heart was beating and he was nervous. He had always liked Saeki, but he had never thought about loving Saeki.

Saeki slowly reached out to lift Fuji's face up to look at him. Confidently, he leaned closer so their lips could touch.

Fuji froze as many thoughts fled through his mind. What was he supposed to do? Should he move away? What about Tezuka?

"ANIKI!"

Fuji jolted and pushed Saeki away. He looked away, clearly avoiding Saeki's eyes as he stood up. "Yuuta is calling." Then, he turned and ran away.

"Syusuke!" Saeki called after his friend, but he was ignored. Disappointed, he huffed and berated himself. "Stupid, stupid." He pulled his hair frustratingly.

That night, Fuji's mind was stuck with the word 'love'. What was love? And how does love feel? His fingers ghostly swept over his lips, thinking how his first kiss was almost stolen by his childhood friend. Talking about first kiss, he almost lost it Tezuka too. But as he thought more about it, he wouldn't mind if it was Tezuka.

He closed his eyes and collapsed onto the bed.

"Why did Tezuka-san come up?" Fuji groaned and slapped his hand over his forehead. "How is he doing?" He wondered.

Fuji shook his head to rid of the thought. After a moment, he was fast asleep.

****O.O****

"This file here, make sure you hand it to the Director personally."

A nod.

"This one…" Tezuka murmured as he flipped through the content. "Make a copy of each and send the original to the Finance Department." He handed the folder to the assistant standing before him. "Let me know when the approval is through."

Another nod, and then a couple more until all files are cleared from Tezuka's desk.

When the assistant left, Tezuka sighed as he leaned back and rested his eyes. He should be happy, because this was what he wanted. An office job. Although he wasn't a board member at his father's company, he was satisfied with his current job as a department manager.

But…something was missing.

On Tezuka's desk was a picture of Fuji taken a while back when the agent got promoted. The picture was given to him by his grandpa. He didn't want to take it at first, but his grandpa insisted that he should. Truthfully, his mind wanted to forget Fuji, but his heart didn't allow it.

Tezuka ran his fingers across the photo longingly. "If you were only here with me, then everything would be perfect."

His father offered him a higher position, but Tezuka wanted to build up his fame by himself, so people wouldn't call him spoil. Tezuka let out a dry smile. _Spoil._ He remembered how Fuji had referred him to a spoiled rich kid. It became the reason that he didn't want to rely on his father much.

One week was short, but it was more than enough for Tezuka to realize that he was in love, for the first time. Even if it was only one week, he harbored an unforgotten memory of his time with Fuji like they had been together for a year. It was only one week before Fuji's death and one week after Fuji was dead that Tezuka needed to realize that he wanted to marry Fuji, but that wasn't possible anymore.

Tezuka shook his head to rid of the thought before he stood up to pack, getting ready to go home.

OMAKE

Asukura's eyes were always sad when they landed on his grandson. He could almost tell what was going on inside Tezuka's mind like how he could read most of his enemies' movements and actions.

He watched Tezuka as often as he could, to watch out for the boy because Fuji had asked him to before leaving the city.

Tezuka was improving, getting better each day as he buried himself with work. Asakura had visited Tezuka's workplace multiple times a week. Every time he was there, he saw Fuji's photo standing on Tezuka's desk like a trophy clean without dust.

When Asakura met up with his son-in-law one afternoon, he was told that there would be a ceremony to announce the new CEO of Tez Co. for Tezuka soon. That night, Asakura booked a flight to Chiba.

****O.O****

Tezuka had followed his father's footstep closely, learning and accomplishing many achievements. He rose up the hierarchy with his own accomplishments by his own hands, without the help from his father. Finally, the time came and his father handed the company over to him. A convention was held, and the news was announced.

Atobe came to congratulate Tezuka on being the new President of Tez Co.

"You haven't been out much lately." Atobe commented when they were left alone out in the garden.

Tezuka smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Things happened, and I changed. Besides, I'm a President of a company now. I can't go out like I used to anymore."

Atobe stole glances at Tezuka's face. His friend looked sad. "I think you've changed since you met him."

Tezuka's eyes perked up in surprise. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was. He didn't need Atobe to explain what that mean because he knew exactly who Atobe was referring to. Tezuka thinned his lips. "Maybe. Maybe not." He took a sip from the wine glass in his hand.

If Atobe didn't know Tezuka any better, he would have thought Tezuka had gotten over Fuji already. "You both would've looked good together."

Tezuka smiled sadly at the memory. Fuji was carved too clearly into his mind to forget. "We'd have been perfect together."

Atobe nodded in agreement. "He may be your first love, but it's time to move on, don't you think?"

Tezuka looked at Atobe, not at all amused at the suggestion. He had heard it before. "Even though he's no longer here, I don't think I will ever love anyone else besides him."

There was a moment of silence before Tezuka spoke up again. "Have you ever fallen in love?"

Atobe smiled a dorky smile. "Love?" He chuckled as he remembered his first love. He shook his head, thinking how silly it was when he and his fiancé met for the first time. "I'm engaged, Tezuka. Of course I've fallen in love."

Tezuka scoffed. "I thought you only love yourself."

Atobe jokingly punched Tezuka's arm. "Even if I'm a narcissist, I found my first love, and now we are engaged. Although, we have been betrothed years ago."

Tezuka let out a breath of envious. "You're lucky. You know that?"

Atobe laughed.

A while later, his grandpa came and Atobe left.

"I was hoping you would decide to move on."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow as he regarded his grandpa. He hated how he could never read his grandpa's expression. "You heard Atobe and me talking?" He wasn't mad or angry.

Talking about Fuji didn't make him feel emotional anymore. He was just glad that Fuji was still remembered by everyone.

Asakura nodded. "What would you do if you see him again?" 

No one had ever asked him this question before. Tezuka was taken back.

****O.O****

Atobe had his head on clouds when he left Tezuka thinking about his fiancé. Doing so, he almost bumped into a person who just walked out into the garden.

Atobe rid himself of the thought and was about to apologize when his mouth dropped at the sight of the person in front of him.

"It's good to see you again, Atobe-san." The person smiled.

Atobe gaped after as the person walked toward the path that he left. It was just too freaky how Fuji reminded him of his first love…

Atobe frowned. _Wait a minute_…His eyes widened. "Fuji-san…is still alive?"

****O.O****

"I would tell him that I love him." Tezuka answered what his heart felt.

Asakura smiled, startling Tezuka for a second. "You wouldn't hate me for lying to you, would you?"

Tezuka was confused.

"I brought someone whom I want you to meet."

"Who is it?" Tezuka asked slowly. There was a feeling of Déjà vu. This reminded him of the time when Asakura introduced Fuji to him. It was too familiar that it made his heart beat faster.

Asakura turned his head to the left and smiled wider.

Tezuka followed the act only to have his breath taken away from the sight of the person standing not too far away. "Fu-Fuji?" Formality and everything else was forgotten. The only object in his view was Fuji, the man that he had been loving for a year.

Fuji's smile brought air into his lungs, and he began to breathe again.

Asakura left them silently.

Fuji smiled because Tezuka had literally turned into a stone. He stepped forward and slowly reached the spot in front of Tezuka. Tezuka didn't blink once during that time Fuji was moving closer.

Tezuka finally blinked when Fuji cleared his throat softly. "Hey." Fuji shyly greeted the man in front of him, not daring to look into the man's eyes.

Tezuka swallowed nervously. Having Fuji this close was almost unreal. His hand slowly reached up, but was hesitant. He was afraid that the person in front of him was a mere illusion, and if he touched Fuji, Fuji would vanish. Slightly, his fingers touched Fuji's hair. The strands slid gently against his fingers, and a smiled broke out. Fuji was real. In flesh. "You're real." Tezuka breathed out before swiftly brought Fuji into an embrace.

Fuji rubbed his cheeks on Tezuka's chest. "And back to me." He heard Tezuka whispering.

After a minute, Tezuka released Fuji. "You're still alive. I thought you were dead."

Fuji smiled, but it was strained. He looked to the ground. "I know, but I came back."

Tezuka's eyes drew downward sadly. "Why?" Fuji had been alive all these while, but why did Fuji lie and leave?

Fuji looked up and opened his eyes. "Because I realized many things." He paused.

Tezuka held Fuji's gaze and waited nervously.

Fuji began, slowly punctuating his words like he meant everyone of them.

"I realized that there was someone who cried for me when I was in the surgical ward and hoped that I would be okay."

"I realized that someone had fallen in love unconditionally with someone like me, who is selfish and maddening."

"And I realized that there is someone who still _loves_ me despite my choice to leave and my choice to make him think that I was dead all this time. He was loving enough to never get mad at me for leaving him."

Fuji paused. His smile widened, but it was honest. "But most importantly," Tezuka held his breath.

"I had finally realized that…I love him." Fuji reached to grab Tezuka's hand. He looked down at their joint hands. "Tezuka Kunimitsu, I love you…with all my heart."

Two drops of tears fell down on their joint hands. Fuji quickly looked up to find that it came from Tezuka's eyes.

Tezuka leaned down closer to Fuji's face. "I love you…forever and ever, Fuji Syusuke." He closed the distanced and joined their lips. He kissed Fuji. When they separated, Fuji was flushing and breathing rapidly. Tezuka sucked in a large gulp of air and opened his mouth.

He was nervous, and Fuji was still his focus, but he couldn't help noticing that there were spectators. The chance was right before his eyes, and he couldn't wait anymore because if he did, he might lose it again. He knew what he was about to do would be too haphazard and careless, but he had to. He smiled genuinely and looked directly into Fuji's blue eyes, preparing what to say next. "Will you marry me?"

Fuji almost fell to the ground in surprise. His eyes grew bigger and rounder. The smile was swept off his face in surprise. He really didn't expect Tezuka would ask for his hand in marriage. Moreover, he didn't expect it would come out this quick, especially when they had just reunited.

Sounds of a few wine glasses shattered on the ground and gasps were the only things heard. Tezuka waited again. He was usually patient, but not this time. He wanted an answer quick because he was afraid that he had scared Fuji.

Tezuka heard footsteps before his family came to stand beside him. Fuji looked at them without blinking, as he hadn't recovered from the surprise yet.

Unexpectedly, Ayana smiled and nodded. _Say yes._

Fuji returned the smile and the nod. He understood. He gazed back at Tezuka and beamed. "Yes!"

A month later, a marriage ceremony was held in the capital's largest cathedral. The married couple was Atobe and his fiancé. Fuji and Tezuka came as VIP guest.

Strangely, Fuji caught the bouquet without doing anything. He was simply standing in Tezuka's embrace as they watched the flower throwing ceremony when the bouquet came flying into his arms. He smiled at the bouquet and then up at Tezuka. He was rewarded with a mind-blowing kiss as people clapped around them.

Fuji smiled onto Tezuka's lips. "Do you think I will be as beautiful as Atobe-san's other half?"

Tezuka pulled Fuji closer. "More than that. You'll be gorgeous, my love." And he kissed Fuji again.

Although Atobe was smiling, inside he was glaring at the kissing couple for stealing the spotlight.

Another month passed by and Atobe's marriage had subsided. Tezuka and Fuji held their wedding at Aquagrace Chapel in Okinawa. Tezuka claimed the place was perfect because the picturesque reminded him of Fuji's eyes.

Fuji walked down the aisle with the agents, that he grew to endear, standing on both sides saluting their leader.

Tezuka thought Fuji was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. For the first time in his life, he egotistically admitted that his spouse was way way more beautiful than Atobe's. Tezuka smirked to himself at the thought. Maybe he could rub this into Atobe's face later when the ceremony ended.

And that was their Tezuka and Fuji's first love. It wasn't all candy and sunshine in the beginning, but it was perfect in the end.

Although there was one thing to be mentioned, Tezuka would love his grandpa more than his grandfather if his grandpa didn't give Fuji too many missions overseas. He hated sleeping alone next to the only thing that allowed him to hear Fuji's voice was his cell phone.

THE END…cheesy much? *wink*

**AN**: So….whose first love story is better? AtobexFuji or TezukaxFuji?

A word of thank you to readers for reading, liking, and commenting this fic. I'm extremely happy to know that this fic is loved.


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